The federal government has inaugurated the board of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), marking a major milestone in its effort to reform and strengthen Nigeria’s electricity sector by the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2023.
TCN, responsible for managing Nigeria’s electricity transmission network, is one of 18 companies that were unbundled from the dissolved Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in April 2004. It was incorporated in November 2005 and received its transmission license the following year.
NISO, created through the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), as outlined in the Electricity Act 2003, is tasked with overseeing market and system operations. Its responsibilities include managing generation scheduling, ensuring grid security, and providing ancillary services to maintain a stable and reliable electricity grid.
On March 19, President Bola Tinubu appointed the executive and non-executive board members for the newly established NISO, with Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade as chairman and Mr. Abdu Mohammed Bello as the Managing Director and Chief Executive, following a selection process led by Phillips Consulting.
During an induction ceremony in Abuja, after being inaugurated by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House, Bello emphasized that NISO would expedite necessary reforms in Nigeria’s power sector.
Bello stated, “Our major role in the power industry is to bring the needed changes in the system that will enhance availability, reliability, and quality of supply of electricity to Nigerians. In addition to that, we’re supposed to create an atmosphere, an environment of transparency, discipline, and orderliness in the electricity business in Nigeria.
“This means that participants in generation, transmission, distribution, and eligible customers behave passionately in line with the provisions of the market rules and the grid code. “The coming on board of the NISO board of management will usher in these qualities that are required to make the power sector tick, just like other power sectors in bigger jurisdictions. Now it’s a journey. It’s not a one-off business. The beginning of the journey starts today.”
Promising to “hit the ground running”, Bello stated that the next port of call will be Osogbo, where the National Control Centre (NCC) is located, to make sure that operators were aligned with the vision, mission, objectives, and goals of the Electricity Act, 2023.
He added, “Furthermore, we’re going to have interfaces with generation companies, with the Transmission Service Provider (TSP), with the distribution companies, and with eligible customers. Those interfaces must be coordinated well, managed well, to make sure that the generation of electricity, transmission of electricity, distribution, and utilization of electricity are in line with the rules and is in Favour of the numerous Nigerian customers.”
Bello further highlighted that the creation of the organization would foster an environment of transparency, discipline, and order within the electricity sector. He assured that participants across generation, transmission, distribution, and eligible customers would be expected to operate with professionalism and dedication, adhering to the market rules and grid code.
